Football Insider
·19 January 2021
Football Insider
·19 January 2021
Aston Villa are “lucky” they don’t have other competitions to worry about with a Covid-related fixture pile-up imminent — but they could struggle with a depleted side against Manchester City on Wednesday.
That is according to former Premier League star Michael Brown, speaking exclusively to Football Insider assistant editor Russell Edge following news of the Premier League’s decision to postpone Villa’s clash with Everton, originally due to be played on 17 January.
Aston Villa asked for the match to be pushed back amid their ongoing Covid-19 problems, with some players having recovered from the virus which struck their camp in early January while others remain in isolation.
Of the other 19 teams in the division, four teams have played 17 matches, 10 have played 18 and four have played 19.
Villa now have a more packed schedule between now and the season’s end in May than any other side.
This a situation that will pose challenges for Dean Smith’s side, according to Brown, especially with a difficult match against Manchester City on the horizon.
He told Football Insider: “The issue is how they’re going to fit them all in. Luckily they aren’t involved in other competitions. It’s not like Manchester City in terms of them fighting on all fronts.
“But they’ve got a couple of issues already and the problem is, will they be able to put out a full-strength team for Manchester City on Wednesday?
“That would be a big knock for them. I was doing predictions for this weekend’s games and I was sceptical about this one.”
The Manchester City match will be Villa’s first Premier League football in 20 days, with their last match in the division a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The 20-day absence would come after playing six matches in 19 days over the frantic Christmas period
In other news, a former Villa man has given his verdict on a midfielder’s potential move away from Villa Park.